1-Minute Vegan Bacon Bits Recipe (2024)

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5 from 2 votes

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By: Sarah Bond 8 Comments

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Savory, sweet, and crunchy these Vegan Bacon Bits made from textured vegetable protein (TVP) are perfect for topping salads, baked potatoes, and everything else!

1-Minute Vegan Bacon Bits Recipe (1)

Vegan bacon bits? Sounds like a bit of an oxymoron that couldn’t possible taste normal. What if I told you these taste so much like bacon that my meat-eating friends thought they were bacon bits?

Ya, these are that good! They are made with TVP, aka textured vegetable protein. For the unfamiliar, TVP it is a soy-based protein that contains no fat, can be stored at room temperature, and makes a fantastic meat substitute for vegetarian or vegan folks. You can learn all about TVP here!

So in short, these bacon bites are vegan, low in fat, and super easy to make. Need I say more?

1-Minute Vegan Bacon Bits Recipe (2)

Ingredients for Vegan Bacon Bits

This vegan bacon bits recipe is super simple. It just uses protein, a little sweetener, and seasoning. Because TVP is pretty flavorless you want to be sure to use the full amount of seasonings to really enhance the bacon flavor (hello smokey paprika!).

  • Textured Vegetable Protein: You can’t have these bacon bits without TVP! It can be found online or in some natural food stores, like Whole Foods.
  • Water: TVP is stored dried which means it needs to be rehydrated to be cooked. This is where the water comes in.
  • Maple syrup: I always like to add a little sweetness to these bacon bits to compliment the saltiness we will create to replicate bacon.
  • Liquid Smoke: Yup, it actually *is* smoke. Hardwood smoke is condensed into this liquid and lets you get that perfect smoked flavor without any of the hard work.
  • Spices: For this “bacon”, I use a combination of salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and smokey paprika to replicate the flavor of bacon.

TVP Tip

TVP is a byproduct of soybean oil production, after removing the fat. This is why it does not need to be refrigerated before cooking and why it has no fat!

1-Minute Vegan Bacon Bits Recipe (3)

How to make Vegan Bacon Bits

Making these is so simple and way less messy than making traditional bacon! You literally just mix ingredients, how awesome!

Step 1: Stir
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl until evenly mixed.

1-Minute Vegan Bacon Bits Recipe (4)
1-Minute Vegan Bacon Bits Recipe (5)

Step 2: Serve
Serve anywhere you want smoky bacon flavor, like baked potatoes, salads, or soups!

1-Minute Vegan Bacon Bits Recipe (6)
1-Minute Vegan Bacon Bits Recipe (7)

Recipe Tips and Questions

Want them extra crispy? To make these crispy, you can spread them out evenly on a baking tray and bake for a few minutes at 300 degrees. Just be careful to not burn them as they cook quickly!

Are bacon bits vegetarian? Surprisingly, the answer to this question is sometimes. Despite the name, some store-bought bacon bits are made out of soy of some type. They may not be made out of TVP like these vegan bacon bits are, but soy nonetheless.

1-Minute Vegan Bacon Bits Recipe (8)

Ways to Use Bacon Bits

On everything. The end. But if you are looking for specific ways to use these bacon bits, try one of these recipes!

  • Vegetarian Wedge Salad is delicious with bacon bites and super easy to make!
  • Pumpkin Pasta is fantastic with a little salty bit. Think pasta carbonara but pumpkin.
  • Slow Cooker Potato Soup is a must served with vega bacon bites! Like a baked potato in soup form.
  • Microwaved Baked Potatoes are delicious loaded up with these vegan bacon bits!

1-Minute Vegan Bacon Bits Recipe (9)

How To Make Vegan Bacon Bits (In 1 Minute!)

5 from 2 votes

Prep: 1 minute minute

Total: 1 minute minute

Author: Sarah Bond

Calories: 14kcal

Servings: 16 servings

Print Rate

Savory, sweet, and crunchy this vegan bacon bits recipe made from textured vegetable protein (TVP) is the perfect topping salads!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup textured vegetable protein (TVP) granules I used Bob's Red Mill brand for this recipe, 100g
  • 2 Tbsp water 30 mL
  • 2 Tbsp maple syrup 30 mL
  • 1 Tbsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp liquid smoke 5 mL

Instructions

  • Stir: Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl until evenly mixed.

    1-Minute Vegan Bacon Bits Recipe (10)

  • Serve: Serve anywhere you want smoky bacon flavor, like baked potatoes, salads, or soups!

    1-Minute Vegan Bacon Bits Recipe (11)

Tips & Tricks

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1Tbsp Calories: 14kcal (1%) Carbohydrates: 2.6g (1%) Protein: 0.9g (2%) Fat: 0.1g Saturated Fat: 0g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 148mg (6%) Potassium: 53mg (2%) Fiber: 0.4g (2%) Sugar: 1.8g (2%) Calcium: 8mg (1%) Iron: 0mg

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Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment

  1. Pat says

    Can you use this on homemade pizza?

    Reply

    • Sarah Bond says

      Yes! That would be delicious 😀

  2. Lizzy says

    How long can you store them? And do they need refrigeration?1-Minute Vegan Bacon Bits Recipe (16)

    Reply

    • Sarah Bond says

      Hi Lizzy! You can store these vegan bacon bits in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month.

  3. Marie says

    Will these last longer if I freeze them or will they defrost to a different consistency?

    Reply

    • Sarah Bond says

      I haven’t tried so it’s hard to say for sure, but I think the texture would be okay!

  4. Claudia Benson says

    Can they be cooked in the air fryer?

    Reply

    • Sarah Bond says

      They can be, but it’s not needed!

1-Minute Vegan Bacon Bits Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What are vegan bacon bits made of? ›

So what are these bits actually made from? They're basically just flavored soy protein chunks. The texturized soy flour gives that same meaty texture you get from tofu or textured vegetable protein. This is an easy (and most likely affordable) way to make a shelf-stable version of our favorite cured meat.

What can I substitute for bacon bits? ›

For that crunchy bacon-y topping, look no further than fried shallots. Roughly diced and mixed with salt, butter, and some olive oil, they're perfect alternatives for your usual bacon bits on salads or casseroles. If you fry them to their golden-brown texture, they'll be almost indistinguishable from the real thing!

What are simulated bacon bits made of? ›

A blend of textured soy flour, hydrogenated vegetable oil, salt, natural and artificial flavours, vitamins, and minerals that add a hickory smoked bacon taste and texture to a variety of hot and cold dishes.

What's a vegan substitute for bacon? ›

There are several great vegan substitutes for bacon. Shiitake mushrooms, tofu pieces, tempeh, and coconut flakes all taste incredible as vegan bacon, but you won't get the look of bacon strips, more of bacon bits.

How healthy is vegan bacon? ›

Vegan bacon could therefore be seen as a better alternative to pig bacon, but that's not to say it's a healthy food product. Plant-based meats are ultra processed foods, and they also tend to be high in salt. They are, however, lower in saturated fat, and don't contain the same preservatives as pig bacon.

What are the ingredients in no name simulated bacon bits? ›

Ingredients. Ingredients: Pork, Water, Salt, Sugar, Sodium Nitrite, Natural Smokeflavour, Dextrose, Sodium Phosphate, Sodium Erythorbate, Sodiumascorbate. We do our best to be accurate with respect to the advertised ingredients, nutritional information, product images and descriptions listed on our app/website.

What tastes like bacon but no bacon? ›

Vegetarian bacon is a meat-free alternative to traditional bacon, which is typically made from pork. There are a variety of ways to make vegetarian bacon, but it is often made from ingredients such as soy, tempeh, or mushrooms, which are flavored and processed to mimic the taste and texture of traditional bacon.

Are McCormick bacon bits vegan? ›

TIL that the McCormick brand bacon bits are primarily made up of soy flour making them vegan.

Can Muslims eat imitation bacon bits? ›

Simulations of pork which don't have any actual pork or pork by-products are entirely permissible. So Bac-Os, which are artificially flavored tvp and contain no animal products at all, and vegetarian imitation bacon are both OK for Muslims to eat assuming they're otherwise halal.

How do you simulate the taste of bacon? ›

One great recipe for a vegan bacon marinade combines maple syrup with vegetable oil, soy sauce, liquid smoke and our very own Maple Bacon and Black Pepper seasoning. Simply coat your meat-free bacon substitute in this sauce and marinade overnight for the best results.

Are Clubhouse bacon bits vegan? ›

Club House simulated bacon bits do not contain meat. Soy flour, vegetable oil (high oleic sunflower oil and/or canola oil), salt, natural and artificial flavour, caramel, yeast extract, allura red, tocopherols, disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate.

Are fake bacon bits vegan? ›

While some might not actually be as vegan as you think, some, like imitation bacon bits, are completely vegan. As it turns out, many bacon bits are actually made with soy instead of any kind of animal product. But vegans do still need to read the label to ensure the brand they've picked up is truly vegan.

Why are bacon bits vegan? ›

What are bacon bits made of? Many brands of bacon bits are vegan because the main ingredient is actually textured vegetable protein (soy protein), typically soy flour, which is produced from ground soybeans. Brands choose to use soy flour because it is typically cheaper than bacon, and has a much longer shelf life.

Are there any healthy bacon bits? ›

Coconut bacon bits are seen a wide range of vegan meals and have proven to be one of the best bacon substitutes we know of!

References

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